"Mom! I'm back!" Cyan shouted out as she pushed open the front door of the house, "And I brought your little baby boy with you!"
"Don't mind her." Jaune said, rolling his eyes as he turned to face Cinder, "She never learned to grow up and be a mature adult."
"What, like you?" Cyan asked as she looked over the shoulder at Jaune.
"I'm very mature, thank you very much." Jaune said
"If you say so, big brother." Cyan said with a snort before entering the kitchen.
"You two seem to get along well." Cinder said as she and Jaune strolled through the house before finally ending up in the living room.
"Ugh, she used to be a lot worse." Jaune said, pulling a face that earned a giggle from the Fall Maiden, "Very insufferable."
"You know I'm still within earshot, right?" Cyan asked as she poked her head into the living room.
"See what I mean?" Jaune said as he took a seat on the sofa before Cinder promptly dropped herself on the blonde's lap. Initially surprised, it didn't last long before she found his arms wrapped around her midriff, "You know, there are other places to sit, right?"
"I know but I somehow always find this spot to be the most comfortable." Cinder said with a sly smile. Turning her body to the right, she wrapped her arm around Jaune's neck before leaning into his shoulder, "Plus, I don't hear you complaining."
"C-Cinder, m-maybe it's-"
"Thank you." Cinder said, cutting off whatever Jaune was about to say.
"For what?" Jaune asked as he looked at the woman currently draped all over him.
"For the short trip you just took me on." Cinder said, placing a quick kiss on Jaune's cheek, "It helped, even if a little bit."
"No problem. Like I told you before, I'll always be there for you." Jaune said as they locked gazes. Their lips were mere inches from meeting before once again being interrupted.
"Jaune, when are you gonna get your-" a voice unfamiliar to Cinder said before a vaguely familiar head poked itself into the living room. Silence reigned in the living room for a few seconds, as the new arrival exchanged glances with both Jaune and Cinder before a mischievous grin appeared on her face not long after, "Oh, my. Jaune, I didn't know you were so bold. Well, continue. Far be it from me to interrupt you two lovebirds."
With her piece said, the woman then left the two alone, each with a combined look of embarrassment and shock.
"V-Viridian, wait! It's not like that!" Jaune shouted as he and Cinder stood up.
"It wasn't?" Cinder asked, a disappointed pout on her face.
"Cinder, please don't start." Jaune said as a tired sigh escaped his lips. Letting out a small laugh, the Fall Maiden simply walked past her boyfriend as she made her way to the kitchen.
"Now come on, lunch is waiting." Cinder said as she started making her way to the kitchen, "Honestly, Jaune, what kind of son are you to make your whole family wait for you?"
"And whose fault was that, I wonder?" Jaune shot back with a roll of his eyes. Entering the kitchen together, the two of them found that his family had just finished setting up the table and were neatly seated around a large round table made of wood, "Hey, mom. Sorry for making you guys wait. Cinder and I just needed some fresh air, that's all."
"You couldn't have done that with someone else's bike?" asked one of Jaune's sisters. Wearing a red blouse with a pair of blue pants, Cinder could only assume she was Scarle. Sending a smile at the rest of the family, Cinder promptly took her seat right between Jaune and Cyan.
"Sorry about that, Scar, but Cinder was using mine. What was I supposed to do?" Jaune asked as he took a seat between Cinder and Scarlet, "Run?"
Before his sister could answer, however, Claire suddenly placed a steaming hot serving of shepherd's pie in the middle of the table.
"Right then. Cinder, make yourself at home. Plenty of food to go around." Claire said as she took a seat beside her husband, "We have shepherd's pie, cherry pie, chicken curry, some roasted vegetables, bread, and fresh watermelon grown from our very own garden."
"Where's Violet and Jade?" Jaune asked, the blonde grabbing a serving of shepherd's pie before placing it on Cinder's plate.
"They're… uh… busy." Claire answered as she grabbing serving of chicken curry for herself, "Something about meeting up with a group of friends in town. You know how young adults are."
"They couldn't even spare some time for their beloved brother?" Jaune asked as he feigned a look of shock, "I knew they were my least favorite sisters for a reason."
"Jaune! You love all your sisters." Claire said as she glared at her son.
"Yes, mom." Jaune said as his sister's laughed at his little misfortune. As lunch went on, Cinder couldn't help the smile appearing on her face as such a cheerful scene played out in front of her. The Fall Maiden also couldn't help but think back to her own childhood with her stepsisters and stepmother.
All the times she had to eat alone in her little room in the attic. The food that she received wasn't even prepared fresh, it was mostly just leftovers.
Cinder's musings, however, were suddenly interrupted as Viridian's next question caught both her and Jaune completely off guard.
"So, Jaune, are the two of you gonna bone in your room later?" asked the young woman. Wearing a purple overall over a white shirt, Viridian Arc didn't look the slightest bit embarrassed at the question she had just asked.
Jaune and Cinder, on the other hand, were choking on their food as they tried to process what the woman had just asked them.
"Viridian! Don't ask such insane questions!" Claire said as she smacked her daughter on the back of her head, "And don't talk with your mouth full!"
"What? We were all thinking it." Viridian said with a shrug, swallowing the contents of her mouth before turning her attention back to Jaune, "I'm just saying, if you are going to do the deed, try and keep it quiet. I need a full night's sleep, after all."
"Viridian!" Claire hissed out before turning to face her husband, "Arthur! Say something."
"Oh, um… Remember to use protection, Jaune. As long as you remember that, then you'll be fine." Arthur said, the man nodding proudly to himself as his wife tried to rub the headache that was quickly coming her way, "After all, nothing's worst than having an unexpected pregnancy. How did you think we got Saphron?"
As those words left his mouth, gasps could be heard from each of the Arc children around him.
"You guys weren't planning to have Saphron?" Cyan asked, shocked at this sudden news.
"No but that doesn't mean we don't love her." Arthur said, "All I'm saying, Jaune, is that I don't mind if you do the deed in your bedroom - you are an adult now, after all - but do remember to practice safe sex."
"I would have… chosen a different time and place to say that but your father's right." Claire said even as she gave her husband the stink eye, "You're both adults. You know the consequences and trust me, raising a child is not easy. Unless you're prepared to bring a child into this world, wear a condom, Jaune."
"Guys, can we not… talk about this? Especially during lunch?" Scarlet said, the woman looking like she'd just suddenly lost her appetite.
"Oh, grow up, Scar. You're twenty-four." Cyan said from the side, the young woman not looking bothered at all by everything going on around her, "Sex is a natural part of life."
"I'd rather not talk about it if it involves my younger brother!" Scarlet shot back, "I changed his diapers when he was a baby, for God's sake!"
Before Cyan could say something else, Jaune finally took the moment to step in even as his face was still as red as a tomato.
Cinder meanwhile, continued eating her lunch as the Fall Maiden watched the scene play out in front of her with a joyous smile.
[~]
"Sorry about all that." Jaune said as he and Cinder went back to his old bedroom, "My sisters - Viridian, especially - gets excited when meeting new people."
"I'll take that as a compliment." Cinder said with a small laugh, "But really, I didn't mind it at all."
"Really?" Jaune asked as he plopped down on his old bed, "Having my parents give me "the talk" when I'm in my twenties is bad enough but during lunch and when I have my girlfriend over? I was half hoping an Ursa would just appear and wreck the whole kitchen when they started saying all that stuff."
"Oh, they weren't that bad. I just met them but they're good people. Even your sisters." Cinder said as she laid down next to Jaune, "Certainly better than mine ever were."
At that mention of her family, a sad look washed over Jaune's face before the blonde grabbed Cinder's hand.
"Well, this is your family now." Jaune said, the blonde propping himself up by the elbow before giving Cinder's hand a kiss.
"You know, I'm starting to think this whole trip wasn't a mistake, after all." Cinder said, the woman pulling Jaune in for a kiss.
"I knew you'd feel that way eventually." Jaune said. Not wanting to end things with a kiss, the blonde then moved so that he was now on top of the Fall Maiden. Locking eyes, the two of them were about to lock lips before the door to his bedroom was abruptly pushed open.
"Oh, Jaune, I brought the two of you some snacks for if you're-" said Claire Arc, the woman stopping mid-sentence as the scene in front of her finally registered in her mind. Putting the tray of biscuits in her hand down on the floor as quickly and carefully as she could, "Oh, my. I expected this to happen but not so soon. And after lunch, too. Well, you can have the snacks after you're done. Scarlet, Viridian, Cyan! Don't come up anytime soon, you hear?!"
Closing the door shut behind her, Jaune and Cinder shared a look full of regret at almost being caught doing the deed.
"I-I'm sorry about that." Jaune said, a pained expression on his face as he did his best to forget what just happened.
"I-it's alright." Cinder said with a nervous smile, "I suppose it is our fault for not locking the door in the first place."
"Now then, where were we?" Jaune asked with a grin, the blonde moving in for a kiss before being interrupted once more.
"Jaune, dear, you do remember my advice, don't you? About using protection?" Claire Arc asked as the woman poked her head inside the room, "Because if you don't have a condom, I have some morning after pills that Cinder could use. Cinder, dear, do you want my-?"
"Mom! Get out!" Jaune shouted, the blonde jumping out of bed before shoving Claire out of the room, "Get out, get out, get out!"
Slamming the door shut, Jaune quickly locked the door to avoid any further interruptions.
"I take it back, this trip was definitely a mistake." Cinder thought aloud as Jaune turned to face her with a look filled with hope.
"So, you want to get back to where we left off or-?" Jaune asked only for Cinder to cut him off.
"The mood is gone, Jaune." Cinder said as she stood up from the bed. The woman dusted herself off before leaving the bedroom, "Try again later."
"Man, cockblocked by my own mother." Jaune said to himself as he sat on the edge of his bed with a disappointed frown, "That's gotta be a now low for me."
[~]
It was late in the evening and the sun was starting to dip below the horizon. With the family having gathered in the living room, Claire Arc shot a worried glance at the clock on the wall.
"It's starting to get late and Violet and Jade still aren't back yet." Claire said as a worried frown appeared on her face. Getting up from the coach, the woman then picked up her purse, "I'm going to go look for them."
The woman would have sprinted out of the living room had Cinder not stood in her way.
"It's okay, Mrs Arc. Jaune and I can go look for them." Cinder said as Jaune appeared by her side a moment later.
"Oh, I can't possibly ask you to do that, dear." Claire said, "You're our guest, after all. Besides, these are my daughters so it's my job to kill them for making me so worried."
"It's fine, mom. Besides, I've been wanting to show Cinder around Orleans, anyway." Jaune said, "You can kill them after we get back home."
"He's right, dear." said Arthur Arc as he placed a comforting hand on his wife's shoulders, "Besides, you spent the whole day preparing that feast for us this afternoon so I think it's time you get a well-deserved rest."
Claire was about to offer her protest before the sound of the doorbell ringing reached all of their ears.
"That must be them right now. I'm gonna go sharpen the family sword." Claire said before she was held back by her husband once more.
"Honey, relax. Calm. Deep breaths." Arthur said in a calm and soothing tone as he guided her to the sofa, "And besides, we can't kill them when we have a guest to impress."
Cinder let out a small laugh at the man's joke, the woman leaving the living room and making her way towards the door. Turning the knob, the Fall Maiden did not expect to see the face of the eldest Arc sister in front of her.
"Surprise!" Saphron Arc shouted, the woman immediately putting Cinder in a tight hug.
"Saph?" Jaune asked from behind Cinder, "What are you doing here?"
"What, does a woman need a reason to visit her parents?" Saphron asked as she released her hold around Cinder, "And look who I brought, too."
Stepping aside, Saphron revealed her wife, Terra, carrying the sleeping for of their child, Adrian. Beside her was a young woman with blonde hair tied into a long braid that reached well past her shoulders.
Wearing a purple blazer over a white shirt and a red necktie, a pair of purple shorts, knee high socks as well as a pair of sneakers, the woman was the spitting image of Jaune had he been born a woman.
"Hey, Jaune." the woman said, a smile on her face.
"Joan. It's so good to see you!" Jaune said, the two twins embracing each other in a hug.
"Sheesh, he never hugs me like that." Saphron said with a pout.
"Good evening, Cinder. Jaune." said Terra as she stepped past Jaune and Joan and into the house, "It's nice to see you again."
"Likewise." Cinder said, giving the woman a side hug while being extra careful not to wake the sleeping baby in her arms.
As Jaune and Joan ended their hug, Saphron then shoved three suitcases into Jaune's hands.
"Thanks for bringing these to my room, Jaune." Saphron said. Before he could offer any protest, the eldest Arc sibling then rushed into the nearby living room to announce her arrival. Judging by the response, Cinder could only assume it went well.
Letting out a defeated sigh, Jaune then made his way up the stairs as Joan, Terra, and Adrian joined Saphron in the living room.
Cinder, meanwhile, waited for Jaune at the bottom of the stairs before the both of them left the house behind to search for the two missing Arc sisters.
"Your family is certainly an incredibly fun bunch." Cinder said with a small laugh, "I'm glad I got to meet them."
"Ugh… Try living with them." Jaune said as he closed the door behind them, "That'll change your opinion in a heartbeat."
[~]
"So, are we here to look for your sisters or do you have some more treats to buy for me?" Cinder asked, the Fall Maiden having used her powers to create a temporary arm for herself so she could have an easier time eating the various food Jaune kept buying for her.
"You said you were feeling peckish." Jaune said with a shrug, "Besides, I wouldn't worry about Jade or Violet. This isn't exactly the first time they're out late. They'll be back sooner or later, most likely when they're hungry."
"Maybe not but the reason they're even out here in the first place is…" Cinder said, letting her sentence hang in the air as she wore a downcast look. Jaune, noticing his girlfriend's distress, turned around to face her before taking her hand.
"Hey, I know this whole thing couldn't have been easy for you but look what's happened so far." Jaune said as he gently squeezed her hand, "My parents practically adore you. Cyan, Scarlet, and Viridian likes you. Not to mention Saphron, Terra, and Adrian."
"I mean, I get that but… It's just…" Cinder said with a sigh, unable to finish her train of thought.
"What, are you one of those people who wants to be liked by everyone?" Jaune asked, chuckling. When Cinder wouldn't meet his gaze, however, the blonde let out a laugh, "Oh gods, what am I saying? You're exactly the type of person who wants to be liked by everyone."
"Shut up." Cinder said, a frown on her face as she shoved her boyfriend before walking away from him.
"Cinder, don't be like that." Jaune pleaded as he caught up to her.
"If you want my forgiveness, then…" Cinder said as she scanned the plaza around her. When her eyes finally landed on her target, the Fall Maiden then pointed at it before saying, "Buy me whatever that person is selling."
"What, you mean octopus balls?" Jaune asked as he followed her gaze, "You've never had them before?"
"Jaune, I'm somone who's only ever dined with people from high society." Cinder said, "They were under Salem's orders, yes, but they were the elite nonetheless. They didn't have things like… octopus balls or frozen yogurt when they hosted galas."
"Right away, your Majesty." Jaune said with a roll of his eyes, "One hot serving of octopus balls coming right up."
As the blonde made his way to the nearby stall, Cinder seized the moment to take a seat on a nearby bench. Not long after she did, however, the Fall Maiden noticed two familiar heads of blonde hair among a group of three young men she did not recognize walking past not far from where she was standing.
"Ah, there they are. Violet… and Jade, if memory serves." Cinder thought to herself, realizing that they hadn't spotted her yet. A frown formed on the Fall Maiden's face when she saw that the small group went into an alley. Without wasting another second, Cinder did her best to discreetly follow them from a distance.
As she got closer to the group, the sound of an argument starting had reached her ears.
"Hey! Leave my sister alone!" one of the Arc sisters shouted as Cinder crouched behind a dumpster to avoid being seen. The woman regretted her choice a moment later, however, as the wretched smell caused the Fall Maiden to gag in disgust.
Doing her best to not cause a scene, Cinder poked her head over the dumpster to get a better view of the scene playing out in front of her.
A young woman dressed in a similar outfit to what Viridian Arc was wearing before was currently being held back by a man in a hoodie, the woman's legs kicking nothing but the air in front of her.
The other blonde-haired woman in the alley - dressed in a brown jacket over a black shirt, a pair of blue jeans and a pair of sneakers - found herself surrounded by two young men.
"Come on, Dave. Knock it off, alright?" the woman said as she tried to back away from the two men in front of her only to hit a brick wall, "Let my sister go. This isn't funny anymore."
"Only if you come to this party downtown." one of the men currently surrounding the woman said, "Come on, Jade. It'll be fun. Just like old times."
"And if I say no?" Jade Arc asked, standing her ground even as Dave slammed the wall beside her head with his palm.
"Don't be like that, Jade. We're old pals, aren't we?" Dave said, "There's no need to be so-"
"Excuse me, is there a problem here?" Cinder asked, choosing this moment to intervene before the situation could escalate. Her arms crossed, Cinder sent a glare at the three young men in front of her.
"Friend of yours?" Dave asked as he looked between Jade and Cinder.
"No." Jade Arc said, a disgusted frown on her face as she refused to make eye contact with Cinder.
"Look, lady, I don't know who you think you are but-" Dave started to say only to stop mid-sentence as Cinder brought her hand up.
"You have two choices, boy: One, you willingly let these two young women leave in peace and without harm or two, I make you." Cinder said, venom in her voice as a small flame appeared around her eye, "Choose wisely."
In response, the three men shared confused looks before they all burst into laughter.
"Take care of this old hag, would you?" Dave said with a wave of his hand.
"With pleasure." one of the men said. Cracking his knuckles, he swung an extremely telegraphed punch at Cinder's head only for the Fall Maiden to dodge it without effort. Cinder then followed up with a blow to the man's stomach that was heavy enough to knock him out in one hit.
Staring at the unconscious body in front of her, Cinder stepped over him without much thought as she stared at the two shocked young men in front of her.
"Fucking kill this bitch!" Dave shouted. With a nod, the young man who had his arms around Violet Arc let the woman go before charging at Cinder with a rusted pipe he had picked up from the ground.
Rolling her eyes, Cinder dodged the man's wild swings with barely any effort. This continued for a few more seconds before the man found himself winded after hitting nothing but air.
"Pathetic." Cinder spat out as she delivered a powerful slap to the man's right cheek.
"This." Slap.
"Is." Slap.
"For." Slap.
"Assaulting." Slap.
"Two young women!" Slap.
"P-p-please… H-have m-mercy…" the man managed to squeak out through all the bruises he had just suffered. Cinder thought about his plea for but a fraction of a second before delivering one final slap to the man's face that ultimately knocked him unconscious.
"No." Cinder said, watching the body slump to the side without a single care in the world. The Fall Maiden was about to step over the man's body before she halted in her tracks.
"D-don't move, bitch! Or blondie it!" Dave shouted as he held a small knife to the woman's throat. When Cinder didn't register the threat, he pressed the blade against Jade's throat, "You think I'm playing with you?!"
"Alright, alright. Calm down and let's be smart about this. There's no need for us to spill any blood tonight." Cinder said, her arms raised in surrender before looking back at the two unconscious bodies behind her, "Well, not anymore than what's already spilled, that is."
"You think you're so smart, hag?!" Dave shouted once more, "Well, how smart would you feel if-?!"
The man's rant was cut short by a swift kick to his crotch area courtesy of Violet Arc. Keeling over to the ground in pain, both the Arc sisters wasted no time in raining kick after kick on the man's body. After what seemed like an eternity of punishment, the two young Arc women finally relented before turning their attention to Cinder.
"We didn't need help." said Jade as she and Violet walked past her and out into the plaze, "Certainly not from a terrorist like you."
"I love your brother." Cinder suddenly blurted out, the words making Jade and Violet halt in their tracks.
"What?" Jade asked as the three women turned around to face each other.
"Your brother, Jaune Arc… I am in love with him. Head over heels." Cinder continued.
"I don't… see what's the point of-" Jade started only for the Fall Maiden to cut her off.
"I'm going to continue loving him and staying with him, even if that means…" Cinder said, taking a deep breath before continuing, "Even if that means the world continues to prosecute me for my past actions. They're justified, of course, because why wouldn't they be? That doesn't mean I can't atone for my sins."
"And you think our brother is your path to redemption?" Jade asked, crossing her arms as a skeptical look formed on her face.
"It's a start. He's the one who showed me there's more to life than just… wasting my own away in the kingdom's outskirts." Cinder said as she recalled their first meeting after Salem's defeat.
"My brother deserves better than you." Jade Arc said and was surprised to see Cinder nod in agreement.
"He does and I hope to be that person in the future" Cinder said, "But to put it bluntly, your acceptance of our relationship is appreciated but not necessary."
Jade and Cinder glared at each other for a few moments before the blonde turned around with a huff, leaving the Fall Maiden alone with her sister.
Violet Arc, on the other hand, stared at Cinder with a curious expression on her face for a few moments before offering the woman her hand. Confused, Cinder took it, regardless.
"Thank you for… saving us." Violet said as she grasped Cinder's hand tight, "This doesn't mean I've accepted you into the family yet, though."
With those parting words, Violet then let go of Cinder's hand as she ran to join her sister. Smiling to herself, Cinder left the alleyway behind to see Jaune hounded by both Jade and Violet.
"Oh, hey! There you are. I was wondering where you'd gone off to." Jaune said before the food in his hands were snatched away by Violet, "Also, look who I found."
"More like I'm the one who found them." Cinder said with a roll of her eyes as Jaune's protest regarding Cinder's stolen food went ignored. Walking up to the trio, Cinder put out her empty palm towards Jaune, "Well?"
"Well... what…?" Jaune asked, looking at Cinder's outstretched hand with confusion.
"Where's my food?" Cinder asked.
"Jade took it."
"And?" Cinder asked as she raised her eyebrow.
"You could share it with her." Jaune said causing Cinder to raise her eyebrow even higher. Letting out a defeated sigh, Jaune turned around and started making his way back to the stall selling the octopus balls, "I'll buy you a new plate."
"Aww, thank you, Jaune." Cinder said with a beaming smile, "How lucky I am to have such a caring and understanding boyfriend."
[Chapter END]
A/N: That's a wrap for this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed this one. Also, I made a blunder last chapter in that I only introduced five of the seven sisters. In comes Joan, twin sister of Jaune. If you need a reference for her, just think of Jeanne D'Arc from Fate/FGO. As for Arthur, just picture Proto Saber who is also from Fate.
I'm also planning for the next one to be the last one for 'Meeting the Parents'. Stay tuned for that one.
As always, faves, follows, and reviews are always welcome.
NoXIV signing off.